George Mann’s Tears is the Nameless is a fantastic addition to the The High Republic era of Star Wars.

Jedi Knight Reath Silas is leading the investigation into the Nameless. He, with the assistance of Padawan Amadeo Azzazzo, makes a genetic connection between the Nameless and the mysterious blight impacting worlds in the Republic.

A wrench is thrown into everything: Reath had been using the knowledge of imprisoned former Jedi turned dark sider Azlin Rell — one of the few known to survive an attack by the Nameless. Unbeknownst to Reath, one of the Nihil’s Children of the Storm is hunting his former master.

I loved the investigation into the past of the Nameless and the reveal that an ancient civilization known as the Tolemites previously had run-ins with the Nihil. I love when Star wars gets into its ancient past.

I think this was the most brutal Star Wars book that I can remember reading. The deaths and torture of multiple Jedi characters was intense. I really wasn’t expecting it to come in a YA book and thought it might come in the full adult novels.

I’ve really enjoyed George Mann’s previous work in The Eye of Darkness. With the last adult novel Temptation of the Force, I didn’t think that it fully set up the High Republic publishing initiative for closure in the final adult novel. I really felt like this book, maybe even a little surprisingly, set things up for a terrific final wave of Phase III.

This was an excellent book, and I think everyone should check it out.